Robertson

Robertson is a farming town of roughly 10,000 people in the Breede River Valley, between the Langeberg and Riviersonderend mountains, founded in 1853 and named after a Scottish minister, Dr William Robertson. It calls itself the valley of wine and roses, and the vineyards on the lime-rich soils are what people come for. The wine valley also takes in McGregor, Ashton, Bonnievale and Montagu. It is the Cape wine region with the least fuss and the most river.

Getting there

Robertson is about an hour and a half from Cape Town. Take the N1 through the Huguenot Tunnel to Worcester and then the R60 east. It sits on Route 62, the long inland road between the Cape and the Klein Karoo, so it works as a first night out of Cape Town on the way to Oudtshoorn, or as a detour on the way to the N2 via Swellendam. There is no useful public transport and the cellars are spread along farm roads, so you need a car or a driver.

When to go

The valley has hot, dry days and cold nights. Summer runs from December to February with daytime highs often near 30°C and little rain. Harvest is in February. Winter is cool, with the Wacky Wine Weekend in June the busiest few days of the year, when dozens of estates open their doors at once; book beds months ahead. The Robertson Slow festival is in the first week of August and Wine on the River in October. Spring and summer are best for the river and the roses.

What to do

Taste. South African Tourism counts 36 wineries on the route; the valley’s own association says more than 50 including garagiste producers who open by appointment. Names to look for include De Wetshof, Weltevrede, Bon Courage, Rooiberg, Bon Cap and Kranskop. The valley made its name on dessert wines and now does Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cap Classique sparkling wine particularly well, with Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon growing in importance since the 1990s.

Away from the cellars, the Breede River is the thing: boat trips, river cruises and canoeing run from estates along the water, and there is hiking, golf, mountain biking and horse riding in the valley. Skydive Robertson, the oldest skydiving club in the country (founded 1972), jumps from the airfield. The town itself has the Pink Church of 1859, a museum in an 1860 building and streets of Victorian and Edwardian houses. McGregor and Bonnievale are the small villages of the valley and worth a slow afternoon each.

Good to know

Robertson is also horse-breeding country and you will pass stud farms on the valley roads. Estate opening hours vary, so check before you drive out. Carry water in summer: the heat here is dry inland heat rather than coastal. Share the tasting with a non-drinking driver or hire one for the day.

Last updated 6 October 2026. Sources: Wikipedia, Robertson Wine Valley, South African Tourism, SA-Venues, Wikivoyage (Swellendam, for the N1 and R60 route).